Rare or precious gemstones have long been valued and sought after. Gemstones can include diamonds, rubies, sapphires, colour stones etc. Scientific advances have resulted in synthetic gemstones which are very similar to natural gemstones. In particular, synthetic gemstones may have crystal structures, chemical compositions, and other physical properties which are very similar to their naturally occurring counterparts. As such, the identification of natural gemstones from synthetic ones has been a challenge for gemstone traders.
There are several existing methods for identifying gemstones. For example, to identify synthetic rubies, microscopic visual observations and chemical analysis can be performed. Microscopic observations involve the use of a microscope to visually look for specific inclusions which characterize a natural ruby. Chemical analysis involves the use of specialized and sophisticated equipment such as one which employs X-ray spectrometers which utilize the methods of X-ray irradiation to determine the chemical composition of the gemstone.
However, the existing approaches for identifying gemstones are typically problematic. For example, microscopic visual observations require highly trained specialized personnel in order to spot and identify the specific inclusions. Even for highly trained personnel, such specific inclusions are difficult to be correctly identified or spotted. Thus, the method is extremely time consuming and prone to human errors.
The chemical analysis method requires the use of sophisticated equipment which also requires highly specialized training in order to operate the equipment. In addition, the equipment is typically bulky e.g. desk-bound and/or room sized, and therefore not easily portable for use at e.g. a gem trader's establishment or the like. Further, such equipment are typically not cost effective.
Therefore, there exists a need for a gemstone tester for characterising a gemstone, and for a method of characterising a gemstone, that seek to address or ameliorate at least one of the above problems.